3 May 2017: Appointment of the Commonwealth Ombudsman

Appointment of the Commonwealth Ombudsman

Media release

The Government has today announced the appointment of Mr Michael Manthorpe PSM as the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, the Hon James McGrath, said Mr Manthorpe brings a wealth of experience from his many years in senior leadership roles across the public service to the position of Ombudsman.

“His impressive track record across a broad mix of roles within the public service will be key in leading the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman into the future”.

Mr Manthorpe is currently Deputy Secretary in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection leading the Visa and Citizenship Services Group in large scale service delivery and complex decision making for the Australian Government. Mr Manthorpe has been a senior leader in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection since 2013, prior to this he held senior roles in the former Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. In 2010, Mr Manthorpe was awarded the Public Service Medal for his management, on behalf of the former Government, of the insolvency of ABC Learning, then Australia’s largest childcare operator.

Mr Manthorpe’s appointment is for a period of five years commencing on 8 May 2017. It fills a vacancy created by the resignation in January 2017 of the former Commonwealth Ombudsman, Mr Colin Neave AM.

The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister expressed his thanks to Mr Richard Glenn and Ms Doris Gibb, for their leadership while acting as Commonwealth Ombudsman, and to the staff of the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman for the important work they do.